One issue with wireless communication networks is positioning accuracy. The accurate positioning or location determination of a mobile station or UE is helpful for configuring signal transmissions as well as helpful for providing location-based services, such as mapping and advertising, internal location services (for use by the network), and emergency location services (E-911). The accurate location of a mobile station is also helpful for lawful intercept location services to provide identification and location information of a device to an authorized public safety agency.
In some conventional wireless networks, mobile stations use the signals received from base stations of several different cells to determine their location. The accuracy of these techniques is limited due to the quality of those signals and the distance from the base stations. Enhanced 9-1-1 regulations require increased positional accuracy that may not be achievable with conventional techniques. Other conventional wireless networks may use global positioning system signals (e.g., from satellites). However, the use of satellite signals requires a separate receiver, is processing intensive and consumes significant energy.
Thus, there are general needs for systems and methods for enhanced positioning in wireless networks. There are also general needs for systems and methods for enhanced positioning that provide for positional accuracy to meet enhanced emergency 9-1-1 regulations. There are also general needs for systems and methods for enhanced positioning for improved beamforming and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) precoding. There are also general needs for systems and methods for enhanced positioning suitable for use in networks that use a DAS and perform cooperative transmissions.